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Phys.org / Predicting glacier surges by understanding ecological tipping points

When and how quickly can ecosystems "tip" and how will they develop in the future? Researchers from the University of Potsdam, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and the Technical University of Munich have ...

Feb 6, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Surgery for quantum bits: Bit-flip errors corrected during superconducting qubit operations

Quantum computers hold great promise for exciting applications in the future, but for now they keep presenting physicists and engineers with a series of challenges and conundrums. One of them relates to decoherence and the ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Skua deaths mark first wildlife die-off due to avian flu on Antarctica

More than 50 skuas in Antarctica died from the high pathogenicity avian influenza virus H5N1 in the summers of 2023 and 2024, marking the first documented die-off of wildlife from the virus on the continent. That is confirmed ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Philadelphia communities help AI machine learning get better at spotting gentrification

Over the last several decades, urban planners and municipalities have sought to identify and better manage the socioeconomic dynamics associated with rapid development in established neighborhoods. The term "gentrification" ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Solid, iron-rich megastructure under Hawaii slows seismic waves and may drive plume upwelling

Mantle plumes beneath volcanic hotspots, like Hawaii, Iceland, and the Galapagos, seem to be anchored into a large structure within the core-mantle boundary (CMB). A new study, published in Science Advances, takes a deeper ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Can a bird be an illegal immigrant? How the White Australia era influenced attitudes to the bulbul

In early January, authorities from South Australia's Department of Primary Industries took to the streets of Adelaide on the hunt for a suspicious individual.

Feb 6, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / CRISPR screen maps 250 genes essential for human muscle fiber formation

Muscles make up nearly 40% of the human body and power every move we make, from a child's first steps to recovery after injury. For some, however, muscle development goes awry, leading to weakness, delayed motor milestones ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Biology
Tech Xplore / Batteries from rust? Carbon spheres filled with iron oxide deliver high storage capacity

Conventional lithium-ion batteries contain problematic substances such as nickel and cobalt, and the solvents used to coat the electrode materials are also toxic. Materials scientists at Saarland University are therefore ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Engineering
Phys.org / Thinking of AI-written vows? A study explains why it can backfire

Psychologists at the University of Kent are suggesting people think wisely about their use of ChatGPT this Valentine's Day after new research has revealed that we judge people most when they use AI to write love letters, ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / The compleximer: New type of plastic mixes glass-like shaping with impact resistance

Researchers at Wageningen University & Research have developed a new type of plastic that, according to materials theory, should not be able to exist. Its properties sit somewhere between those of glass and plastic: it is ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Blood tests in young bald eagles track PFAS pollution across Wisconsin River sites

It hadn't been a successful morning for the Great Lakes Eagle Health team. Traveling by boat, truck, and foot, the team was searching for active eagle nests along the Wisconsin River in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. Tree one was a ...

Feb 6, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / JWST discovers a new extremely metal-poor dwarf galaxy

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have discovered a new dwarf galaxy, which received designation CAPERS-39810. Further investigation of CAPERS-39810 revealed that it is an extremely metal-poor galaxy. ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Astronomy & Space